Chinatown hawker wins praise for treating elderly man to free meal and $5 after each visit: 'Spread the love'

An elderly man's weekly visits to a Chinatown hawker stall have become a heartwarming routine, with the hawker treating him to a free meal and giving him $5 after each visit.

Melvin Chew, 47, a second-generation hawker who operates Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck & Kway Chap in Chinatown, told AsiaOne that the elderly man, in his 70s, regularly visits his stall, where Chew would treat him to a free serving of kway chap.

"He has autism, so we would always buy newspapers from him to support him," said Chew, adding that he first got to know him when he was selling newspapers at Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre.

On one occasion, he walked past Chew's stall and expressed an interest in having a meal, prompting Chew to treat him, which eventually became a regular arrangement.

"He comes once or twice a week. Since we used to give him some kopi money when he was selling newspapers, we just continued giving him $5 after every meal," Chew said.

Describing their bond as closer to a friendship than a typical hawker-customer relationship, Chew said he was happy to continue looking out for the elderly man.

Netizens praise hawker's kindness

In a social media post, Chew said how the elderly man had recently expressed a craving for pig's blood during one of his visits.

"He just came as usual and asked if he could add pig's blood because he wanted to eat it. He wanted to pay, but I refused to let him," Chew said.

While he acknowledged that he and his family are unable to help everyone in need, he believes that small acts of kindness can still make a difference.

"There are still many people who need help, and we try to give back to society. I hope more people who are better off can spread love and positive vibes in this already chaotic world," Chew said.

His gesture has drawn praise from netizens, with many commending his generosity and encouraging him to continue his good deeds.

"I 1,000 per cent support you. Even posting this helps more people learn to share and care," commented one user.

"Your generosity is deeply human. It isn't just about the food or the money- it's about preserving the dignity and warmth of our seniors who deserve to be cared for in their golden years," added another.

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

一位老人每周都会光顾唐人街的小贩摊位，这已成为一件令人暖心的事。每次小贩都会请他吃一顿免费餐，并在他每次光顾后给他 5 美元。

47岁的第二代小贩Melvin Chew在牛车水经营着一家名为“金记潮州卤鸭粿汁”的摊位。他告诉AsiaOne，这位70多岁的老人经常光顾他的摊位，Chew会免费请他吃一份粿汁。

“他患有自闭症，所以我们总是从他那里买报纸来支持他，”周先生说，并补充道，他第一次认识他是在中峇鲁小贩中心卖报纸的时候。

有一次，他路过周的摊位，表示想吃顿饭，周便请他吃饭，后来这成了定期的约定。

“他每周来一两次。以前他卖报纸的时候，我们会给他一些买咖啡的钱，所以我们现在每顿饭后都会继续给他5美元，”周先生说。

周先生形容他们之间的关系更像是朋友，而不是典型的摊贩与顾客之间的关系，他说他很乐意继续照顾这位老人。

网友称赞小贩的善举

周先生在社交媒体上发帖称，这位老人最近在一次探望中表达了想吃猪血的愿望。

“他像往常一样来了，问能不能加猪血，因为他想吃。他想付钱，但我拒绝了，”周先生说。

他承认自己和家人无法帮助所有需要帮助的人，但他相信小小的善举也能带来改变。

“仍然有很多人需要帮助，我们也努力回馈社会。我希望更多生活条件较好的人能够在这个已经混乱的世界里传播爱和正能量，”周先生说。

他的举动赢得了网友们的赞扬，许多人称赞他的慷慨，并鼓励他继续做好事。

一位用户评论道：“我百分之百支持你。即使只是发布这条信息，也能帮助更多人学会分享和关爱。”

“您的慷慨体现了深厚的人性光辉。这不仅仅是食物或金钱的问题，更是为了维护我们老年人的尊严和温暖，他们理应在晚年得到照顾，”另一位人士补充道。

邢莹.koh@asiaone.com